Radici introduces new nylon grades

All three grades are part of Radici’s Radilon-brand nylon family, marketing and application director Erico Spini said during a press event at NPE2012. The newest grade is an eco-sustainable material for injection molding and extrusion.

The eco-grade is based on nylon 6/10 and is 60 percent composed of renewable resources, primarily sebaccic acid from castor oil beans and plants. The material has improved chemical resistance and is less expensive than standard grades of nylon 6/12, Spini said. Radici produces the material at a plant at its headquarters site in Bergamo, Italy.

Radici also recently has launched high-heat resistance grades og nylon 6/6. The materials are aimed at the auto market and address needs in engine downsizing and longer vehicle lifetimes, Spini said. They can be used in blow molding as well as injection molding. One grade – a 35 percent glass-filled 6/6 – can replace specialty polymers such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), he added.

The third new offering is a line of high-fill level grades of nylon 6 and 6/6 for metal replacement.

Radici executive Michael Cain added that the firm “is very optimistic about the U.S. market.” Cain is executive vice president of Radici Plastics USA, which operates a compounding plant in Wadsworth, Ohio.

Nylon and engineering resins demand in the U.S. is expected to average 4.5 percent annual growth to 2020, Cain said. Radici’s major markets in automotive and electrical/electronic are also expected to grow with automotive builds possibly reaching 14.5 million per year.

Radici has about $2 billion in annual plastics sales. In addition to its plant in Wadsworth, the firm operates a plant making polymer-based Spandex synthetic fibers in Gastonia, N.C.